So how did this howler slip into a Supreme Court decision?
Eugene Volokh reports:
At page ten of his opinion, the Chief Justice purports to quote President George Washington’s first Thanksgiving proclamation as follows:
“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the problems of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor. . . .”
The use of the word “problems” in that quotation is, of course, an error. The word that President Washington actually used is “providence.”
My bet: spellcheck did it, with a rushed or sleepy typist clicking “Change” rather than “Ignore” or “Learn.” Mistyping seems possible, but less likely.